


he knows when you're awake.

by impossiblepluto



Series: have yourself a fluffy, whumpy christmas [3]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016) Whump, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Jack Dalton (MacGyver 2016), set immediately prior to 1x11 Scissors, spy siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21540022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impossiblepluto/pseuds/impossiblepluto
Summary: Riley and Jack work on coming to terms with their history, and figure out how that will affect their trust in each other going forward, while on an ill-fated mission during a snow storm. Set a few days prior to season one's christmas episode "Scissors."
Series: have yourself a fluffy, whumpy christmas [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552330
Comments: 36
Kudos: 85





	he knows when you're awake.

**Author's Note:**

> Reading "he sees you when you're sleeping" is suggested if only for teenage Riley and dad Jack feels.

Riley shivers as the cabin door snaps open. She huddles in on herself, under a knit blanket in front of her rig, shying away from the frigid wind and gusts of snow blown into the small cabin.

"Close the door!"

The door slams hard against the wind and Jack stomps his feet to warm frozen toes, and shake snow from his boots.

"All I can say is your little communication range booster doo-dad had better work because I ain't going back out there." Jack yanks his face mask to hang around his neck, and pulls off his gloves. He cups his hands around his mouth, blowing short warm breaths against them.

"They'll work, as long as you followed directions."

Jack rolls his eyes at Riley's snippy tone. Then glances around the small cabin. "Mac's not back yet?"

Riley dramatically looks around the one room cabin. "Great observation skills there, Secret Agent Man."

"Is it being cold that's making you cranky or is it me?"

She turns back to her laptop with a shrug. "You're the one asking stupid questions."

Jack huffs and narrows his eyes at her back as he unfastens his face mask, shaking out the snowflakes that stick to the material. The relationship between them has remained tumultuous. He snaps his jaw shut and mentally counts to ten. He didn’t expect Riley to immediately welcome him back into her life with open arms. He was even prepared for the cold shoulder she used to give him as a kid. He was prepared for sarcasm and her acerbic tongue, or so he thought.

“The way the storm’s blowing up, you might want to be nice to me,” Jack says. “We could be stuck here for a couple of days.”

At this, Riley’s head snaps up. “But Christmas is in a few days.”

“You got big plans?” 

Riley’s eyes drop back to her rig, biting her lips. “No.”

Jack licks his lips, debating bringing up the topic. “You gonna spend the day with your mom?” 

“Don’t bring up my mom,” Riley’s eyes snap. 

“Okay,” Jack raises his hands in surrender. “Don’t worry. I’m not gonna try to put the moves on your mom or anything like that. Just wondering how she’s been.”

“Cause you care so much,” Riley says sarcastically. 

Jack opens his mouth, then closes it again. A myriad of expressions cross his face. It’s not often that he’s at a loss for words. He knows he messed up. He doesn’t know how to fix it. Every word Jack has offered, Riley has thrown back in his face.

“Alright. Fine. Topic’s off limits. I won’t ask about your mom again.” Jack crosses to the window and peers out into the darkness. “It’d be great if you could hurry it up Mac, help disperse some of this awkwardness.” Jack says, making no attempt to lower his voice. 

"Actually, I was expecting you to be Mac."

"Would you have been rude to him too?"

"He would have been a lot better company."

Jack snorts. “Oh yeah, Mac’s a regular Chatty Cathy.”

“At least he knows how to keep his nose out of other people’s business.”

“Mac? That’s funny,” Jack scoffs. “You won’t be saying that when he decides to fix your toaster without telling you.” 

“Hurry up, Mac,” Riley says to the blinking light on her rig. “You had your transponder up first. Why are you subjecting me to being stuck in this cabin alone with Jack?”

Jack frowns. "How much first?"

"Come on, Jack, it's not a competition."

"Riley, how much before mine?"

"I don't know," she taps a few buttons, checking the timeline. "About ten minutes."

Jack looks out the window again, back at the heavy snow falling. Then pulls his face mask back into place.

"Jack?" Riley’s voice is uncertain. She stands from her rig and moves toward the window. 

“Probably got distracted examining snowflakes or something. He doesn’t get to see snow that often. The cold kind of shorts out that big brain of his” Jack says, slipping his gloves on. “I’ll go get him. Scold him for worrying you.”

Riley doesn't look convinced. "Should I come with?"

"Nah," Jack shakes his head, but Riley can read the worry in his eyes. "Better stay here in case I pass him in the dark."

Jack braces himself before opening the door, the wind grabbing it, trying to yank it from his grasp. Riley pushes it closed behind him. She stands at the window, watching Jack cross the porch, and the small clearing before disappear into the darkness. She crosses her arms, rubbing them against the chill. 

Riley tries to ignore the clock on the bottom of her screen, watching the minutes crawl forward. A gust of wind rattles the windows. It feels like the whole cabin shakes with the force of the gale, and she shivers.

The cabin is warmer by comparison but her wool knit cap is pulled down over her ears. She balls her fists to warm her hands in their fingerless gloves. She's starting to worry.

No, she's well into worrying.

She moves from the window, watching the flurries flying makes her worry harder. She walks over to the fireplace, adding a log from the woodbox. She gathers up the few blankets in the room and sets them next to the hearth to warm them. Then drags the camp cot from the corner of the room closer to the fire, scraping and scuffing the old metal against the wooden floorboards. She's sweating by the time she's finished.

She sits down hard on the cot, watching the blaze, glancing back at the door every time the wind bangs a loose shutter, hoping that this time it's them.

The kitchen is stark, but a rummage through the cupboards reveals an old metal pot. She tugs her hat lower on her forehead and takes a few fortifying breaths before stepping out onto the porch. She still shrieks when the cold blast hits her. She scoops snow into the battered pot as quickly as she can, then rushes back into the cabin. She stamps her feet the way Jack did when he came in. The cold was unbearable for the thirty seconds she was out in it. Mac has been out there for almost sixty minutes. 

She shakes off the snow, and tries to shake off her fear with it. She sets the pot in front of the fireplace to warm. Watching and waiting for it to boil. When it's warm she drops in a few bullion cubes that she found in her search of the kitchen. It's not much, but it'll be better than the MREs that are stashed in their supplies, and help to warm Mac and Jack from the inside out. 

There’s a thud on the porch, different than the wind this time. 

Snow swirls around them as Jack half-walks, half-drags Mac into the cabin. Riley jumps up, slamming the cabin door closed against the howling wind.

Mac’s eyes are half-closed, lashes coated with snowflakes. His feet stumbling as Jack carries him further into the warm room. Violent shivers run through him.

His skin is pale, translucent. His lips purple, trembling as his teeth chatter hard beneath them.

"Alright, come on, bud," Jack pulls him over toward the fire, sitting him on the edge of the cot. "We made it. Time to warm up.” 

“Good job, Riley," he takes a moment to praise her as he observes her preparations. She feels her ears flush with pride at his words and frowns, trying to tamp down on the emotions that his approval brings.

"That's it hoss, keep those eyes open for me. You can't sleep yet." Jack taps a finger against Mac's cheek to keep him awake.

Mac's breath comes in short jagged gasps, barely responding to Jack or his ministrations. Allowing Jack to care for him without pushing away his hands like Mac is prone to do.

Jack kneels in front of Mac, unzipping his coat and pulling off sodden layers.

When Jack reaches for Mac's belt buckle, he suddenly comes back online, squirming out from Jack's hands, pushing him away.

"Hey, hold still, hoss," Jack admonishes, catching Mac's hands gently in his.

"No," Mac mumbles, trying to pull away.

"Gotta get you outta those wet clothes, kiddo."

Mac twists in Jack's grasp, breaking his hold.

"Hey, knock it off, now," Jack scolds, securing Mac's hands again, and trying to catch his eye and break through the hypothermia induced confusion.

Mac looks over Jack's shoulder. "Riley," he whispers.

"What?" Jack blusters. "You're freezing to death over here, and you're choosing now to be bashful?"

Mac ducks his head and mumbles something that Riley can't quite make out through his chattering teeth and shivers, as she turns away from the duo.

"Sorry, Mr. Medical Droid, can't go in the bacta tank, Princess Leia might see me in my skivvies. Of all the times to... Riley, turn around, Mac's being shy," Jack calls over his shoulder. Seeing that she is already giving them privacy, but not before a blush creeps onto Mac's cheeks, he thanks her. 

“Not like I’m even gonna strip you down that far,” Jack grumbles. “If your long underroos are dry I’ll let ya keep that layer on.” 

Riley settles at the table where her rig is parked, her back to them, listening to Jack murmur encouraging and teasing words, trying to keep Mac engaged and awake.

“You trying out for a role in Bozer’s new movie? The adorable snowman?”

“T-th- the Ab- ab- bom-bom-i,” Mac’s teeth chatter as he tries to get the word out. 

“Don’t hurt yourself, hoss,” Jack teases gently. "Adorable is a better description with all the icicles stuck to your eyebrows." 

Mac's grunt of disapproval is almost lost in the thwap of wet clothes landing in a pile of the floor which startles her. She steals a glance over her shoulder, making sure they don't need assistance, but Jack has the situation under control. Wrapping Mac in toasted blankets and hanging up their wet things.

"Alright, Princess, we're under the covers, no need to worry about stealing Mac's dignity."

The blankets are pulled up to Mac's shoulders, his eyes still halfway closed, with Jack tucked in behind him, running his hands across Mac's chest and arms.

Jack is shivering lightly, Mac pressed against his chest. He throws a towel over Mac's head, brushing away ice crystals and drying his wet hair.

"Too bad we don't have a dead taun-taun to shove you inside," Jack mutters, rubbing the towel furiously over Mac’s head.

“This is probably easier on Mac, at least you don’t smell as bad as one,” Riley mumbles.

“Wow, did you hear that Mac? I think that was almost nice.” 

Riley shrugs. “Maybe the holidays are making me soft.” She turns to the pot next to the fireplace, stirring the contents and checking the temperature. She pokes at the plastic-looking bags of fluid laying next to the cooking broth. 

“I tore the bladders out of our hiking kits,” Jack says, watching her. “Keep an eye on them for me? When they’re warm I’m going to pack them in next to Mac, help warm him up a little.”

“That’s… that’s kind of smart,” Riley says slowly, looking up at Jack.

“Mac’s usually the idea man, but every once in a while I get to feel that lightbulb go off over my head too.”

Riley turns back to face the fire. 

“You did good, Ri,” Jack’s voice interrupts her thoughts. “Moving the cot. Stoking the fire and warming up the blankets and water. That was really smart.” 

Riley shrugs, trying to ignore the sweeping warmth that comes over her with Jack’s praise. She’s not a little kid anymore. She doesn’t need Jack’s approval. “It wasn't really anything.”

“Not everyone would think to do that though. I’m proud of you.”

She keeps her eyes firmly on the flickering flames, ignoring the way they blur in front of her. “I guess I tried to think of what would be included in this lesson from The Jack Dalton School of Infinite Wisdom.”

“Two nice things in one day? You’re gonna spoil me, Riles.”

“Think of it as your Christmas present. And don't get used to it.” She reaches up to brush the tears from her eyes. She doesn’t want Jack to know how much his words are affecting her.

Once she tamps down on her emotions, keeping her face neutral again she grabs the camelbaks, holding them out to Jack. “I think they’re ready.”

Jack accepts the improvised heat packs, sliding one into Mac’s long underwear against his groin and one into each armpit. 

Riley sits on the floor next to the cot.

“Are you warm enough down there, kiddo?”

She nods.

“Cause if we budge over, there’s room up here for you too,” Jack offers. “If the dead taun taun smell isn’t too offensive.” 

She hesitates, considering the offer to snuggle in. It's tempting. Mac stares blearily up at her through half closed lids. She can't resist brushing blond hair back from his forehead in a way she's seen Jack do a surprising number of times.

“He’ll be okay, right?” 

“Course he will. He’ll be healthy enough to pull the ears off a gundark in no time.”

“Everything’s always a joke with you,” Riley spins around to face the fire again.

Mac grunts as Jack scoots up a bit. “Ri, it’s not a joke. I promise.”

Jack reaches out and tentatively lays a hand on her shoulder. She turns around to look at him. 

“He’s gonna be fine. He’s already warming up, fingers don’t feel quite so much like icicles anymore.” Jack pulls Mac closer and lifts the edge of the blanket. “He’ll warm up twice as fast if you jump in here too.” 

With a long suffering sigh, Riley wedges herself onto the cot, wrapping an arm around Mac. 

“Now he’ll be ready to spike the eggnog and butcher christmas carols with the rest of us by morning.”

“Spiking the eggnog sounds a lot more like you, Jack.”

“Don’t let the innocent face fool ya, the boy is a menace. You couldn’t even walk past the punch bowl last year without getting tipsy.”

Riley laughs. “That still sounds like you.”

“Guess you’ll just have to join us and find out,” Jack pauses. “If you already have plans that’s okay. I won’t even ask who they’re with, but if not, you know you’re welcome to spend Christmas with us.”

“I’ll… I’ll think about it.” 

Jack's hand brushes her shoulder. He's trying again. To win her over. To gain her trust. And her resolve is weakening. Maybe this time she can let him in and trust that he won't leave her again.

**Author's Note:**

> So many references to The Empire Strikes Back.  
The Jack Dalton School of Infinite Wisdom comes from 1x05
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
